Pump



Aug. 20, 1968 A. M. EINERSON ET AL 3,397,644

PUMP

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 20, 1966 g- 63 A. M. EINERSON ET AL 3,397,644

PUMP

Filed Sept. 20, 1966 2 Sheets-$heet 2 Fig-7 men 7M:

@440 ziwiggm/ HTTO/PIVEY-S United States Patent f 3,397,644 PUMP Amos M. Einerson and Harold W. Pruner, Mansfield,

Ohio, assignors to Barnes Manufacturing Co., Mansfield, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Sept. 20, 1966, Ser. No. 580,636 4 Claims. (Cl. 103-103) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A water pump having a bearing and journal structure for withstanding abrasion and corrosion from sandy water. The pump includes a housing with an internal impeller drive shaft support having an aperture receiving an impeller drive shaft. A hearing journal is secured to the impeller shaft. A bearing is disposed in the aperture, said bearing containing a longitudinal aperture encasing the journal, whereby the shaft, with the journal secured thereto, rotates within the bearing. The bearing is interlocked in the drive shaft support aperture by means of splines formed on the bearing outer surface, and which interlock in coacting slots in the longitudinal wall of the support aperture. Such bearing is formed of a synthetic organic plastic such as an elastomeric polyurethane material, and the journal is preferably formed of either stainless steel or tungsten carbide.

This invention relates to water pumps and more particularly to a novel bearing and journal structure for the impeller drive shaft thereof.

A persistent problem encountered with many types of water pumps is the pumping of water containing abrasive materials such as silt, clay, and particularly sand. The major trouble with sandy water is that when the pump is temporarily shut off, some of the sand may settle between complementary bearing surfaces and such sand may, and often does, create sufiicient friction to make it difiicult or even impossi-ble to restart the pump. Furthermore, even if the pump can start again, the sand in metal bearings is capable of doing sufficient damage by scoring, and the like, to interfere with proper operation and greatly reduce the life of the pump. A further problem is encountered when such pumps are used to pump water containing corrosive materials which, in time, dissolve the surfaces of the bearings and journals and thus reduce the efficiency and life of the pump.

Therefore, it is an object of the invention to provide a water pump bearing and journal structure that will withstand abrasive and corrosive action far better than prior structures.

A further object of the invention is to provide a water pump bearing and journal structure formed of a combination of materials that greatly prolong the life of a pump.

A further object of the invention is to provide a water pump bearing and journal structure that is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and highly effective in operation.

Briefly, the foregoing objects are accomplished by the provision of a water pump including a housing forming an impeller chamber containing a drive shaft support having an aperture within which a conventional impeller drive shaft is rotatably supported. A bearing journal is detachably telescoped onto the impeller shaft. An elongated annular bearing is disposed in the drive shaft support aperture, said bearing containing a longitudinal aperture encasing the journal, whereby the shaft, with the journal secured thereto, rotates with the bearing. The bearing is interlocked in the drive shaft support aperture by means of longitudinal protuberances or splines dis- 3,397,644 Patented Aug. 20, 1968 posed on the outer surface of the bearing, and which interlock in coacting elongated slots in the longitudinal wall of the support aperture. Such bearing and journal structure is preferably disposed adjacent the outlet side of the impeller, whereby water pumped by the impeller flows over the bearing and journal to lubricate and cool the same.

In one of the preferred forms of the invention, the bearing is formed of a synthetic organic plastic such as an elastomeric polyurethane material, and the journal is formed of stainless steel. In another form of the invention, the journal is formed of solid tungsten carbide, or is formed of a metal coated with tungsten carbide.

With such construction and combinations of materials, a water pump bearing-journal structure is provided that is very highly resistant to abrasion and corrosion, whereby the life of the pump is prolonged many times beyond that of prior structures.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a sump pump incorporating a bearing and journal constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the bearing and journal structure of the invention and taken along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of the bearing shown in FIGURE 3 and taken along the line 44 of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 55 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a side elevational view of a submersible pump incorporating a bearing and journal constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 7-7 of FIGURE 6, and

FIGURE 8 is a sectional view taken along the line 88 of FIGURE 7.

Although the invention is shown and described herein with reference to sump pumps and submersible pumps, it will be understood that it may be applied to any type of pump for pumping liquids containing abrasive and corrosive materials.

Referring first to FIGURES 1 through 5, there is shown a sump pump, generally designated as A, and including a housing or body 10, supporting a column base portion 12 which, in turn, supports a perforated strainer column 14 having an electric motor 16 secured ,to the upper end thereof. The pump contains a conventional float switch mechanism including the float 18, the float rod 20, and the electric switch 22. The housing also includes an outlet portion 24 having the threaded outlet orifice 26.

Interiorly, the housing forms an impeller chamber 28 containing a transverse flange or impeller drive shaft support 30 having a centralized elongated aperture 32. The support 30 may be detachably secured to the housing 10 by means of the bolts 33', such bolts also securing the column base portion 12 to the housing. Disposed in the support aperture 32 is an elongated annular sleeve bearing 34, of the invention, to be hereinafter described in detail. The bearing 34 has a longitudinal bore or aperture 36 containing the elongated annular bearing journal 38, which is detachably secured or telescoped onto the impeller drive shaft 40 by means of a bolt 42. Operatively connected to the drive shaft 40 is a conventional impeller 44.

In operation, water flows through the perforations 46 of the column 14, down past the bearing 34 and journal 3 38, through openings 48 in the impeller drive shaft support 30, past the impeller 44, and out the outlet orifice 26.

The sleeve bearing 34 is prevented from axially rotating within the drive shaft support aperture 32 by a coacting interlocking means in the form of a plurality of linear elongated protuberances or splines 50' disposed on the outer longitudinal wall of the bearing, said splines adapted to interlock in a plurality of coacting elongated linear slots 52 formed in the longitudinal wall of the drive shaft support aperture 32. The splines 50 and slots 52 are disposed longitudinally with respect to the drive shaft 40. With the above spline-slot structure, the shaft 40 and journal 38 are secured together and axially rotate within the bearing 34. The bearing 34 has an outwardly extending annular flange 54 disposed at its lower end for preventing upward movement of the bearing in the aperture 32 when seated therein. It will be noted (FIGURE that the splines 50 are slightly tapered (outwardly from top to bottom) to insure a tight interlocking fit of the bearing in the aperture 32.

In a preferred form of the invention, the bearing 34 is formed of a synthetic organic plastic or thermoplastic substance such as an elastomeric polyurethane material. One typical type of polyurethane elastomer which may be used is described in United States Patent No. 3,214,411 issued Oct. 26, 1965 to James H. Saunders and Kenneth A. Pigott. Also, the journal 38 is preferably formed of stainless steel. This structure and combination of materials effects a bearing-journal structure that is highly resistant to abrasive and corrosive materials that are normally found in well water, thus effecting excellent wear characteristics in the pump and greatly prolonging the life thereof.

It will be noted that the bearing 34 and the journal 38 are located in the hydraulic passageways of the pump. More specifically, the drive shaft support 30 (which contains the bearing and journal) is disposed adjacent the bottom end of the pump whereby water pumped by the impeller 44 flows over the bearing and journal to lubricate and cool the same.

Referring now to FIGURES 6 through 8 which illustrate a further application of the invention, there is shown a submersible pump, generally designated as B, and including a housing or body 60 forming an impeller chamber 62. A conventional impeller drive shaft '64 is disposed in the chamber 62, and contains one or more impellers 66. The housing 60 includes an interior drive shaft support 68 for rotatably supporting the upper end portion of the drive shaft 64, such structure to be hereinafter described in detail. The housing also contains a threaded outlet orifice 70, and a conventional check valve 72. The pump also contains the usual electric motor (not shown) for driving the shaft 64 and having electric wires 74 leading therefrom and connected to a suitable associated source of electric power.

The drive shaft support 68 has a centralized elongated aperture 76. Disposed in the aperture 76 is an elongated annular sleeve bearing 84 having a bore 86, a lower flange 88, and outer tapered splines 90', all as aforedescribed with respect to the bearing 34. Since the bearings 38 and 84 are identical in structure, bearing 84 will not be described further in detail. Disposed in the bearing bore 86 is an elongated annular journal 92 which is detachably secured or telescoped onto the drive shaft 64 and retained thereon by the nut 94. It will be noted (FIGURE 8) that the journal bore 96 and the outer longitudinal wall of the drive shaft are of coacting hexagonal configuration in transverse section to prevent the journal from turning axially on the shaft.

In operation, water is pumped upwardly by the impellers 66, past the bearing 84 and journal 92, up past the check valve 72, and out the outlet orifice 70. The bearing 84 is prevented from axially rotating within the support aperture 76 by interlocking means, as aforedescribed, in the form of splines 90 adapted to interlock.

in the coacting slots 98 formed in the longitudinal wall of the support aperture 76.

The bearing 84 is preferably formed of an elastomeric polyurethane material as aforedescribed. The journal 92 is preferably formed of solid tungsten carbide, or may be formed of a suitable metal coated with tungsten carbide. This structure and combination of materials effects a bearing-journal structure that is highly resistant to abrasive and corrosive materials normally found in well water.

It will be noted that the drive shaft support 68 is disposed so that the bearing 84 and the journal 92 are positioned near the top end of the pump on the outlet side of the impeller, whereby water pumped by the impeller flows over such bearing and journal to lubricate and cool the same.

The terms and expressions which have been employed are used as terms of description, and not of limitation and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions, of excluding any equivalents of the features shown or described, or portions thereof, but it is recognized that various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed.

We claim:

1. A centrifugal pump comprising, a housing forming an impeller chamber, at least one impeller operatively mounted in said chamber, a drive shaft extending into said chamber and operatively connected to said impeller, said housing including an interior drive shaft support having a central aperture for receiving a portion of said drive shaft therethrough, an elongated annular bearing journal telescoped onto said shaft portion, an elongated annular thermoplastic bearing disposed in said drive shaft support aperture and having a longitudinal aperture eucasing said journal whereby the shaft portion and journal rotate within the bearing, coacting interlocking means on said bearing and on the longitudinal wall of said drive shaft support aperture for preventing the bearing from axially moving and rotating within such support aperture, said interlocking means including a plurality of elongated slots formed in the longitudinal Wall of the drive shaft support aperture, a plurality of coacting elongated splines disposed on the outer longitudinal wall of the bearing and adapted to interlock in said slots to prevent axial rotation of said bearing in said support aperture, said pump being a deep well submersible pump, and said drive shaft support being disposed at the top end of the pump and at the outlet side of the impeller whereby water pumped by the impeller flows over the bearing to lubricate and cool the same.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said journal is made of solid tungsten-carbide.

3. The structure of claim 1 wherein said journal is formed of metal coated with tungsten-carbide.

4. A centrifugal pump comprising, a housing forming an impeller chamber, at least one impeller operatively mounted in said chamber, a drive shaft extending into said chamber and operatively connected to said impeller, said housing including an interior drive shaft support having a central aperture for receiving a portion of said drive shaft therethrough, an elongated annular bearing journal telescoped onto said shaft portion, an elongated, annular thermoplastic bearing disposed in said drive shaft support aperture and having a longitudinal aperture encasing said journal whereby the shaft portion and journal rotate within the bearing, coacting interlocking means on said bearing and on the longitudinal wall of said drive shaft support aperture for preventing the hearing from axially moving and rotating within such support aperture, said interlocking means including a plurality of elongated linear slots formed in the longitudinal wall of the drive shaft support aperture, and a plurality of coacting elongated linear tapered splines disposed on the outer longitudinal wall of the bearing and adapted to interlock in said slots to prevent axial rotation of said bearing in said support aperture, said bearing being 2,197,883 4/ 1940 Sinclair 308237 formed of an elastomeric polyurethane material and 2,590,761 3/ 1952 Edgar 308-237 having an outwardly extending annular flange at its 2,791,182 5/ 1957 Scheidl 103-1 14 lower end for preventing upward movement of the bear- 2,815,253 12/ 1957 Spriggs.

ing in the support aperture, said drive shaft support being 5 2,875,697 3/ 1959 Fernstrum 103-103 disposed at the outlet side of the impeller whereby Water 2,906,567 9/1959 Runton et al.

pumped by the impeller flows over the bearing to lubri- 3,098,450 7/1963 Bower 103102 cate and cool the same. 3,155,045 11/ 1964 Lown et a1. 103--103 References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS UNITED STATES PATENTS 888,834 2/ 1962 Great Britain.

1,348,980 8/1920 Chapman 103-402 HENRY F. RADUAZO, Primary Examiner.

2,166,404 7/1939 Hait 103-102 

